January Book Club: Quiet by Susan Cain

Happy New Year everyone! We’re excited to announce our first book selection for 2012: Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain. Western cultural has put a premium on extroverts, but Susan Cain delves deeper into how introverts tick.

More about the book:

Did you know that thirty to fifty percent (depending on which study you consult) of Americans are introverts? That’s one out of every two or three people you know. If you’re not an introvert yourself, you probably work with or love one. But much like women in a man’s world, the quieter half of the population is routinely discounted because of a trait that goes to the core of who they are.

Yet many of the achievements that have propelled society, from the theory of evolution to the invention of the PC, from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the Cat in the Hat, came from people who were quiet, cerebral, and sensitive. Even in less obviously introverted occupations, like finance, politics, and activism, some of the greatest leaps forward were made by introverts: Eleanor Roosevelt. Al Gore. Warren Buffett. Gandhi.

None of this is an accident. There are specific physiological and psychological advantages to being an introvert. In my book I’ll tell you what they are — and what we can all learn from the introverts among us, including how to be more creative, think more carefully, love more gently, and organize our schools and workplaces more productively. I’ll also challenge contemporary myths of human nature, including the belief that creativity is fundamentally collaborative, and our preference for charismatic leaders.

Pre-order your copy of Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain and join us on January 19 as we discuss all things introverted. Quiet is published by Crown and will be released on January 24.